Praying at home during this Coronavirus Holy Week.
A theologian offers a practical way for Catholics to celebrate the most important liturgical events of the Christian faith
Thomas O’Loughlin United Kingdom, La Croix April 3, 2020 - from Claude Mostowik MSC , Justice and Peace.
You can divide religions into two categories: those most at home in a large public space and those most at home in the domestic space.
Most contemporary Christians, at least in the West, know only the former. They own many big buildings – and that is where religion takes place.
If it takes place elsewhere, that is really just "a follow up". Christians seem to like big public statements.
But it is startling to recall that the original Eucharistic meals – where the followers of Jesus distinguished themselves from their fellow Jews – took place in their homes.
"Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke the loaf at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts" (Acts 2, 46).
In this domestic setting, they were in tune with their Jewish roots.
Every meal was to be an occasion at which those gathered blessed God (Dt 8, 10); the weekly meal with which the Sabbath began was a special act of praise, and the most special night of the year is the Passover meal when God's liberating deeds are recalled around the table.
This year – in most places – Christians are going to have to rediscover this domestic liturgical space.
Let us remind ourselves of some basics.
- Jesus is present with us
The risen Jesus is present in every community, however small. This was captured in a saying that's preserved in Matthew's gospel: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Mt 18, 20).
Even the smallest gathering – just two people staying two meters apart so as not to spread the virus – has the Risen Lord is among them.
This might be two people in a house, or it might be people linked on the phone or on Skype.
This was expressed in another ancient Christian saying – preserved in the Didache (a first-century new disciples' guide): "Wherever the things of the Lord are spoken about, there the Lord is present" (4:1).
- Our sitting room is a place of prayer
We might be feeling the lack of a church building, but recall this instruction by Jesus:
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the gatherings and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Mt 6, 5-6).
- Center and summit
Our prayer together at home should be seen as being among the foothill: soon we shall gather as a whole community again for the Great Thanksgiving that we call "the Eucharist".
- Every table is a sacred place
Jesus encountered people and taught at their tables: every table is a place where we can encounter the Lord in those with us.
We will not be eating together as sisters and brothers in a church for the next few weeks, so let's starting recalling that whenever we eat, we should be thankful.
We can gather at the table now to celebrate Holy Week, and there in our domestic space, enter Jerusalem with Jesus, recall his last Supper with his disciples on Thursday, rejoice in his victory over sin and death when he was exalted upon the Cross on Good Friday, wait for him during the still hours of Saturday, and sing our Easter "alleluia" at that same table next Sunday.
Getting going
If you want to devise a special liturgy to celebrate Palm Sunday, even with with those locked down in the same house with you, then that itself will be an act of praise.
But if you want a little "ready made" liturgy that can just be downloaded, then here is one.
Remember – a home liturgy has to be:
- simple and short (the kettle may be boiling or a phone start ringing) – this one takes about 6 minutes;
- it has to be straight-forward (people, not just children, must not get a fit of the giggles: what works in a big group will often not work in a very small group); and
- you do not need lots of words to pray, remember, and celebrate.
Lots of people have helped create this little liturgy – thanks to them all!
Thomas O'Loughlin is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton and professor of historical theology at the University of Nottingham (UK). His latest book is Eating Together, Becoming One: Taking Up Pope Francis's Call to Theologians (Liturgical Press, 2019).
